- Photos from QPR-
(And a Barcelona "Flashback!"
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-Throughout the day, updates, comments and perspectives re QPR and football in general are posted and discussed on the QPR Report Messageboard...Also Follow: QPR REPORT ON TWITTER
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- Preston Previews and Stats
- Decade Ago: QPR's Managerial Search to replace Gerry Francis. Various managers linked (Bassett, Bruce, Jewell...)...Four Years Ago: Tabloid links Joe Kinnear to QPR
- Decade Flashback: Ten Years ago Yesterday - Gerry Francis Announces His Resignation as QPR Manager (and then stayed on for a while!)
- Four Year Flashback: Club/Fans Consultative Meeting Report (and a few months Later Report on the AGM)
- Aris Thessaloniki Pulped Programme vs Manchester City because of Embarassing photo! & Champions Final (at Wembley) Ticket Prices
- QPR Report's "Spot The Ball"- Winner(s)if any announced tonight!
- Fifty years ago today: Just a "regular" Division Three Game: QPR 2 Hull 1
- Penalty for Stevenage Fan who ran onto the field and punched Stevenage Player: Jailed for 12 Weeks/6 Yr Ban/100 Pound Fine
Hewitt NOT Yet Signed/Sealed/Delivered
Non-League Daily -RANGERS FIRST IN LINE FOR BORO HOT-SHOT
- Ryman League Premier Division club Harrow Borough`s young striker Troy Hewitt will be back at Queens Park Rangers on Monday with a view to making the move to the npower Championship leaders.
- The 21-year-old held talks at Loftus Road on Thursday with Boro boss David Howell and Rangers chief Neil Warnock.
- The R's are keen to do a deal for the twenty-goal front man, who is also wanted by Peterborough United, Swindon Town and Barnet.
- However, QPR are in pole position having been impressed by Hewitt during a run-out for the reserves this week.
- Howell said: "QPR are very pleased with Troy and they want to do a deal.
- "They're going to draw something up and we're hopeful he will sign on Monday.
- "We wanted to chat with Warnock and see if Troy had a future at Rangers, and the talks have made me happier that they're interested.
- "But nothing is sealed until the contract is signed." Non-League Daily
Dave McIntyre Blog - Warnock’s major comedown
From Messi to McIntyre in less than 24 hours. How the mighty have fallen.
A day after meeting Barcelona’s players as they trained at Loftus Road, Neil Warnock was back to dealing with the likes of me.
He managed to put a brave face on it, and as usual was having none of my attempts to put words in his mouth. It’s been nearly a year of this now. A change of tactics may be needed.
In an ideal world, he’d have compared Troy Hewitt to Les Ferdinand – the obvious comparison (for a lazy person) to make, given the latter’s rise from another local non-League club.
That one was politely shot down straightaway, and was always going to be. But a comparison with DJ Campbell; now that was a goer, I thought.
‘Neil Warnock reckons he’s unearthed the new DJ Campbell in non-League hotshot Troy Hewitt….’
It was all done in my head, and I knew which papers would take it. Job virtually done. All Warnock had to do was play ball.
He wasn’t having it. I had two or three attempts, but he just wouldn’t take the bait. Some nonsense about comparisons being daft and not putting pressure on a youngster. Whatever. I zoned out at that point, my superbly-crafted story ruined.
On a serious note, players from the lower divisions and non-League often emerge and attract interest, and it’s almost always misplaced. But I think Hewitt can go a long way. I like him. People whose judgement I trust like him even more, and have been watching him for some time.
There are clubs that have been tracking Hewitt for much longer than QPR and will be bitterly disappointed that he looks set to join them. He’s regarded by a number of good judges as a genuine prospect.
That said, the jump from Ryman League to the Championship and soon, possibly, to the Premier League, would be an absolutely monumental one. Anything he does this season should be seen as a bonus. It could take 18 months or longer for Hewitt to adapt.
Even if it doesn’t – and I have a feeling he might hit the ground running – sooner or later a player making that kind of step up will almost certainly hit a wall.
When that happens, it’s simply part of learning the professional game. And that game can involve going from flavour of the month to a cast-off very quickly.
An option for a club in Rangers’ position is always to take on a player like Hewitt as a no-risk signing, and then loan him to another League club to see how he fares.
I asked Warnock if he’d consider doing this, and he was adamant that he wants Hewitt in his squad. That’s a big compliment.
As of this afternoon, talks were at an advanced enough stage for me to be pretty convinced Hewitt will be a QPR player.
Warnock expects the signing to be completed soon – and is also confident he won’t be losing one striker as another comes in.
He has spoken about Ishmael Miller to West Brom, who have an option to recall the player at 24 hours’ notice.
There’s been speculation that, having taken over as Albion manager, Roy Hodgson might exercise that option.
At the moment though, that seems unlikely to happen, at least until Hodgson or one of his staff has watched him in action for Rangers. Even then, Miller will probably stay put.
Even so, Warnock has been looking at other possible loan signings should he lose Miller in the next few weeks.
As things stand, Miller will be on the team coach to Preston and it is, apparently, on that coach that Warnock will decide whether to make a change to his defence on Saturday.
Matt Connolly and Bradley Orr are the most likely casualties if he alters things, with Pascal Chimbonda and Fitz Hall waiting in the wings. Dan Shittu is another option.
Would he change a successful team? I believe yes, simply because Rangers dropped points at the turn of the year when he decided against making changes during a very hectic period, despite considering it very seriously.
For that reason, with games again coming thick and fast, I expect Warnock to make the odd change, if not this weekend then soon.
Finally, I want to say thanks for the many nice comments I received after my post about Harold Winton, some of which I’ll pass onto his family.
I also want to clarify something about my post on the Amulya loan which attracted some not-so-nice comments! That’s fine. I’m always hearing from and meeting Rangers fans who tell me what rubbish I talk and that I’m consistently wrong. I’m well used to that.
I should say though that the post, which some saw as negative and even scaremongering, didn’t actually include any personal opinion on the Amulya loan whatsoever.
It was purely a brief factual rundown in light of a letter sent to shareholders that had caused some confusion – as the issue of the loan often does. David McIntyre Blog
Paul Warburton/Ealing Gazette - Rangers players issued with Taarabt warning
- QPR players have been told they will be fined £250 every time they pass to Adel Taarabt in their own half.
- Boss Neil Warnock laughed off the idea – but admitted he used the threat part joking, part seriously during training sessions.
- But insiders were not so sure.
- One claimed the Hoops gaffer is determined the mercurial Moroccan’s skills will only be employed at the opposition’s end of the pitch.
- The source said: "It’s common knowledge among the players. And although no one’s quite sure if the manager means it – no one’s going to risk finding out."
- Warnock agreed the Hoops highest scorer’s tricks on the ball were needed only in the final third.
- He said: "We’ve said about the Adel fine out loud – but it’s part of the banter that goes on when we’re with the squad in training." Ealing Gazette
- Almost-QPR, Sunnil Chettri Returns (Temporarily) to India
- Warnock to Talk to Harrow Today re Striker, Troy Hewitt
- The "Controversial" Crawley/Manchester United Video
- February 28 Deadline to Pay Antonio Caliendo 2 Million Pounds?
- Four Year Flashback: Statement by QPR Life President Harold Winton (RIP)
- 40+Readers' Responses to Guardian piece "The Questions QPR Must Answer"
- Guardian Blog/Michael Hann: The questions QPR must answer
- "Football League Clubs Heading for the Precipice"
- Messageboard Year Flashback: Advocating QPR Should Do More for Aging Ex-QPR Players (Remians just as true today)
- QPR's Season-by-Season Championship Points Total Since Premiership Relegation
- Old Videos
- A second book about Bernie Ecclestone
- The Logos/Crests of Other League and Premiership Clubs
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Photos from QPR
